Monitoring of mirror degradation of fluorescence detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory due to dust sedimentation

0497474 - FZÚ 2019 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Nožka, L. - Hiklová, Helena - Horváth, P. - Hrabovský, M. - Mandát, Dušan - Palatka, Miroslav - Pech, Miroslav - Řídký, Jan - Schovánek, Petr
Monitoring of mirror degradation of fluorescence detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory due to dust sedimentation.
Journal of Instrumentation. Roč. 13, č. 5 (2018), s. 1-15, č. článku T05005. ISSN 1748-0221. E-ISSN 1748-0221
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT EF16_013/0001403; GA MŠMT LM2015038
Grant - others:OP VVV - CTAO-CZ(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_013/0001403
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : detector control systems (detector and experiment monitoring and slow-control systems, architecture, hardware, algorithms, databases) * large detector
OECD category: Optics (including laser optics and quantum optics)
Impact factor: 1.366, year: 2018

We present results of the monitoring method we have used to characterize the optical performance deterioration due to the dust of our mirror segments produced for fluorescence detectors used in astrophysics experiments. The method is based on the measurement of scatter profiles of reflected light. The scatter profiles and the reflectivity of the mirror segments sufficiently describe the performance of the mirrors from the perspective of reconstruction algorithms. The method is demonstrated on our mirror segments installed in frame of the Pierre Auger Observatory project. Although installed in air-conditioned buildings, both the dust sedimentation and the natural aging of the reflective layer deteriorate the optical throughput of the segments. In the paper, we summarized data from ten years of operation of the fluorescence detectors.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0290038